TOD - All through my reading of BK's notes, I was sure the TOD was going to have something to do with our favorite independent bookstores (present, or most likely, past). So that's what I'm going to talk about and I guess the Beatles' Paperback Writer would fit best as my answer to his actual question.
In the late 1970s, my mother and her friend Madelon worked in a Little Professor bookstore in Northville, Michigan, owned by Detroit newscaster Jack LeGoff and his wife. When they decided to close the store, Mom and Madelon opened Bookstall on the Main in 1979. As you can see in the photo, it was tiny. Mom said it had the dimensions of a Greyhound bus - 8 feet wide and 40 feet long. Small, but mighty - they had a fabulous selection, a delightful kids' room in the back, special order service, and author events.
Eventually, my Mom and Dad bought Madelon's share and ran the business together until word came that Border's would be opening a superstore a few miles away. The Bookstall was up for sale when my Dad died in August of 1984 and it eventually sold in 1985. The new owner moved it to a much bigger corner location, but did not stay in business long.
